


Pearl

by Uanit



Category: Hunger Games Series - All Media Types, Hunger Games Trilogy - Suzanne Collins, The Hunger Games (Movies), The Hunger Games (Movies) RPF
Genre: Gen
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2021-01-27
Updated: 2021-01-27
Packaged: 2021-03-12 15:28:34
Rating: Mature
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,905
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/29012823
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Uanit/pseuds/Uanit
Summary: I'm not supposed to be here, I was supposed to be safe. There was supposed to be a volunteer. I am going to die. . . . But all is not as it seems, it's not as it's shown on TV. Everyone is keeping secrets. Nothing at all is how it's supposed to be. Happy Hunger Games.





	Pearl

I wake slowly to the sound of pans clanking in the kitchen, reminding me that it is reaping day. Mum always cooks a big breakfast on reaping day, and all the family comes here to get together for a lovely big breakfast before the reaping. It's part of our family ritual. Each family in four has one, this is ours. This year I am more excited than I am scared.

I'm the last one to enter the kitchen, Edweed jumps up squeezing himself onto the box with Jae to offer me his chair. I laugh as I take it, I haven't had to fight for a good chair since Azureus moved out, before that it was a battle every meal. None of my big brothers would have stood up and offered me one. But today is a special day, and this year it is all about me (at least in my family) I am the only one still of reaping age, and it's my last year.

I wonder if we will continue this tradition next year, when none of us will have to stand in the square. I hope we do, ever since my two oldest brothers moved out this is the only time of the year that is guaranteed to get the whole family back together. Even before they moved out and started their own families, the first day of the games holiday meant that dad could be home for breakfast and not out on a ship at sun-up.

I glance around at my family as I dig into a delicious breakfast. Nan is swapping parenting stories with Harrison and his wife Coral, their daughter Pearl sits on Coral's lap, splattering syrup around them. Azureus looks a little queasy at the prospect (and the syrup) and his wife Jessy mutters promises assuring him that their child will be no trouble at all, as she sits back from the table to leave room for her extra large tummy. Mum is light heartedly laughing at Jessy's certainty and trying to convince Jae and Tammae to hurry up and get married. Dad is looking around the table like I am, at our large and crazy family and quietly smiling to himself. Edweed pauses with his fork half way to his mouth, he swallows and turns to me. "Scared at all? It's as many slips for you in there as there ever will be."

"No." I reply, "It's a safe year. Hilda's going to volunteer."

"Lucky you." He smiles. "Your last year and you're safe. I remember my last year. I was more trerified than ever that it'd be me up on stage, with no volunteer lined up at all. Then they called up Finnick, I felt so relieved that it wasn't me, and completely awful watching that young kid get up onto the stage, that was back when we all thought he was going to die, not win."

"Yea, it's going to be weird watching Hilda walk up onto that stage, and watch her in the games. I haven't know anyone who's been in them before. I hope she can get back home."

"Hope, but brace yourself, it's not going to be a fun show for you this year."

I nod remembering that Edweed knew the boy in the fifty-ninth games. He didn't come home. We keep eating breakfast.

I notice that my mood has dipped a little, I focus on the delicious food mum made us and close my eyes, I listen to the background noise of my family. It's been oddly quiet this last year with only the five of us living here. But this morning, there's twelve of us packed tight around our table. It's constantly noisy and chaotic, just the way it should be.

Next year, if we continue this tradition, we'll have thirteen. And it will be the start of the best eight years for our family. Eight whole years where none of us could be reaped. It won't be all about me next year, but it'll be better than ever. I can barely remember the years before Azureus first had to stand in the square. I was only four the last time that none of us were eligible.

We've always tried to make today a celebration, even in the years that we were all worried about being reaped. It's even more of a celebration today. With it being a safe year, and my last year. After this there will be eight free years before Harrison and Coral's daughter Pearl will be eligible.

Mum ushers me upstairs far too soon. I pull on my reaping dress. It's getting a little short, but it's my last year, everyone in four will understand me not buying a new dress for one day. And the people of the capitol wear dresses even shorter, and that's who I need to look good for, on the off chance that I'm the one called up on stage before Hilda volunteers.

I wonder what she'll be wearing today. Probably something purpose made to look good for the capitol people. Shiny and sparkly. She'll be putting make up on too, to look better on camera. I don't have any make up to put on, our family is rich. But it's rich as in can-feed-five-kids rich, not can-afford-frivolous-luxuries rich. But makeup isn't a frivolous luxury for Hilda today. It could help her look good, win sponsors and increase her odds.

I slip my fancy sandals on while I wonder again what it will be like to watch her fight on TV, I don't know her that well. We have a lot of classes together and are paired together in some of them too. She's nice, if a little quiet. We aren't friends only because she's always too busy training to make any. I remember how delighted she was when I invited her to a beach party one night. Even though she was only able to turn up for ten minutes before she had to get back to training.

I walk to the square with my whole family following me. I give them each a quick hug and reassure my mum again, because she looks worried even though we both know I'll be safe. Then I line up, I get checked in and shuffled up the front to the eighteens section.

I search the section trying to find my best friend Macie. I can't see her, though I know she must be here somewhere. Gorgie spots me and pushes her way through the crowd to get to me.

"Have you seen Macie?" I ask her.

"Not this morning, We'll see her at the party after." She says with a shrug and I nod back to her as the movie starts.

District four's escort Vicky Lowfall taps her way across the stage to the barrels of slips. She reaches her hand into the boys barrel pulls out a slip and announces her funny capitol accent. "Congratulations Mason Seashire! come on up."

A boy from the thirteen's section steps out into the isle. He walks past with his head held high, just like we practice at school. Only the tiniest glint of horror in his eyes shows that this isn't one of those silly practice walks where everyone is laughing and making jokes as they pretend that they have been called and walk past the school desks to the font of the room, while the teacher tries to get everyone to be serious because they might have to do it on TV.

I try remember if there is a male volunteer lined up this year. I hope there is, for the sake of the small kid, standing up tall and brave on stage. He wouldn't stand a chance against Hilda.

Then Vicky Lowfall taps across to the girls bowl and reaches her hand in. She swishes it around and pulls up a slip. Then into the microphone she calls my name.

* * *

The world spins. It can't be me. It just can't. I step out into the isle, on auto-pilot as the crowd of eighteen year old girls splits, clearing my path. I walk towards the stage, head held high, and footsteps even. It seems those silly practice walks at school have paid off. I'm can hardly think, but I'm doing exactly what I'm meant to.

As I take the last step onto the stage and spin to walk to my spot I get a look of the crowd from an angle I've only ever seen on TV. Something about that churns my stomach and sends jolts of fear running down my spine. I have to focus to keep my head high. I remind myself that Hilda is going to volunteer. I'm up here presenting a good face of district four to the nation. I'll be back down at the after party soon, watching Hilda on TV next week.

I stand in the designated spot and search the crowd. Hilda is easy to spot, right up the front and in the fanciest dress I've ever seen in person. Her skin itself seems to shimmer.

Vicky Lowfall tells us to shake hands and I take Mason's hand in my own, and give him a reassuring look, hoping again that there is a male volunteer this year. His hand is sweaty, it feels small and shakes a little in my grip. I can sympathize, I'm only as steady as I am because I know I won't be up here for long.

Then Vicky asks the crowd if there are any male volunteers. I hold my breath.

A strong eighteen year old, that I don't recognize, steps into the isle and up onto the stage. He looks absolutely fierce, I know it's for the camera's but it's already a little intimidating. "And what's your name?"

"Angler Kennedy"

"Well nice to meet you Angler. May the odds be ever in your favor. You may shake the young boy's hand." Vicky says, seeming to have already forgotten Mason's name.

Angler turns to Mason, and holds out his hand. His eyes soften for a moment as Mason clearly holds back tears while shaking his hand vigorously, clearly wishing to hug him, or thank him properly for saving his life.

Vicky cuts the hand shake off and dismisses Mason back to the crowd. I watch from the best vantage point as I see something that they don't show on TV. Mason just about collapses down the stage steps, the crowd engulfs him and seems to move him to the back where his friends crowd around him on one side of the rope and his family engulfs him in a tearful hug, the red rope crushed between their bodies.

Vicky speaks into the microphone again. "Any lovely female Volunteers?"

I spot Hilda immediately. She stands out because of her fancy clothes and makeup. But she stands out even more, because in a crowd of eighteen year old girls, all of whom are craning their necks and either looking around trying to see her or looking up at me. She's the only one standing perfectly still, looking down at the ground.

I try to catch her eye, as the fear sets in. I mentally beg her to step forward. Please! But she doesn't look up, She doesn't move at all. NO!

"I present to you, The district four tributes!" Vicky says raising my hand into the air for me.

**I am going to die!**


End file.
